“I am truly sorry for the mistakes I have made and for the pain I’ve caused my family. I take full responsibility for my actions and have voluntarily checked myself into a treatment center to address some health and personal issues. I am grateful to be getting the help I need so I can become the husband and father my family deserves.”

It’s unclear what McDermott is seeking treatment for, but several sources say that the actor has been seen leaving a facility that treats alcohol and drug addictions. This announcement comes just weeks after cheating rumors surfaced. US Weekly first broke the news earlier in the month that McDermott was having an affair with a woman who was 20 years younger than him, Emily Goodhand.

On January 23, before it was announced that McDermott had entered rehab, TMZ also reported that his relationships with some of the people who helped him with his new cookbook were also strained. Apparently, McDermott was given $250,000 for his book deal, yet he still hadn’t paid the photographer or food stylist, among other people who had helped him.

Now, what kind of person does this sound like to you? Surely not the loving husband of Tori Spelling with four young children, as well as another son from his first marriage. Does this suggest that McDermott has been hiding his true self the entire time, or does it mean that addiction has taken a hold of him?

How Addiction Changes a Person

Addiction is a chronic disease, and it manifests itself in the same way regardless of what the person is addicted to – drugs, alcohol or sex. The human brain is extraordinary, and it’s a well-balanced communications network that is responsible for our thoughts, emotions, perceptions and drives. When addiction takes place, the well-balanced systems are compromised, and the person’s normal desires are quickly replaced with one thing and one thing only: seeking and using the drug of choice.

This one-track mind is what gets people into a lot of trouble. Since the brain is craving the drug, the addict is no longer in control of their needs or wants. Seeking the drug is all that matters, and the addict does not think about what the consequences of their actions may be. This is why severe addicts generally end up losing their jobs, compromising their relationships and throwing away their money. Looking in, it’s easy to ask, “why, why, why?” but that person has no control anymore.

To complicate matters, many drug addicts are addicted to more than just one substance. Many are abusing both drugs and alcohol or may be addicted to sex and drugs. So, if the addict seeks treatment, they must go through withdrawal for all the drugs they are addicted to, and they must learn to rebuild their lives without using anything to self medicate.

Furthermore, many addicts have co-occurring disorders that further complicate the addiction. Co-occurring disorders are psychological conditions that the addict is also suffering from. Experts still don’t know what comes first in many cases – the addiction or the psychological condition – but dealing with both is not easy. For instance, an addict suffering from depression will abuse drugs to deal with their negative emotions. Until the depressive symptoms are successfully treated, it may be nearly impossible to get the addict to stop abusing drugs.

Dean McDermott is Seeking Treatment

Since it has not been confirmed why Dean McDermott has sought rehab, we can’t say for certain what his underlying struggles are. What we can say is that he is a perfect example of how an addiction can change someone.

A husband and father of five with a successful acting career has everything going for him, but now as he enters treatment, we learn that he has been involved in a cheating scandal and has stiffed friends who helped him with his book deal. This sounds like a person who is losing control of himself due to his addiction, and that’s why he was not concerned with the consequences, which being a famous actor, would be publicized for the world to see.

We’re happy to see that McDermott is getting the help that he needs, as he does have a family that depends on him. According to RadarOnline.com, the facility that McDermott is being treated at also treats psychological and personality disorders, depression and bipolar disorder. Most importantly, he appears to be getting support from his family, including current wife Tori Spelling and ex-wife Mary Jo Eustace.

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